Comments on: Lemme tell ya’ bout my caucus http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/ Firedoglake weblog Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:34:05 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: GMFORD http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1182496 GMFORD Sat, 05 Jan 2008 04:26:40 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1182496 <p>The huge turnout was because people want change. All three of the frontrunners talk about change but the Iowans decided that Obama is the one who will bring about the change that they want.</p> <p>Hillary supporters seem to be having a hard time with the concept that their candidate is not a shoe-in for the nomination. </p> <p>Edwards supporters seem kind of angry that if Iowans were not going to vote for the shoe-in candidate, they picked Obama instead of Edwards.</p> <p>I am a Biden supporter so I don’t have a dog in the fight and have long gotten over any anger at people who don’t see that my candidate as the best one.</p> <p>Obama generates energy, he brought in the youth vote, he won over independents, he’s loaded with the charisma needed to win in a general election. I would feel just fine if he wins in NH and SC and the other 47 states too.</p> The huge turnout was because people want change. All three of the frontrunners talk about change but the Iowans decided that Obama is the one who will bring about the change that they want.

Hillary supporters seem to be having a hard time with the concept that their candidate is not a shoe-in for the nomination.

Edwards supporters seem kind of angry that if Iowans were not going to vote for the shoe-in candidate, they picked Obama instead of Edwards.

I am a Biden supporter so I don’t have a dog in the fight and have long gotten over any anger at people who don’t see that my candidate as the best one.

Obama generates energy, he brought in the youth vote, he won over independents, he’s loaded with the charisma needed to win in a general election. I would feel just fine if he wins in NH and SC and the other 47 states too.

]]> By: lolacat http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181523 lolacat Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:37:34 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181523 <p>I think that the Hillary camp made the same mistakes Dean made in ‘04 in Iowa — she overestimated support with no real reason to do so. For instance, in the days leading up to caucus I received many phone calls from the Hillary campaign that acted like I’d committed to caucusing for them (I was never *asked* if I was a supporter). Several friends of mine who had no intentions of supporting Clinton received supporter materials in the mail (like the pre-printed name tags she distributed to supposedly committed caucusers). Before the caucus I predicted in my personal blog that Obama would take Iowa by a pretty big margin and that Clinton’s numbers would be way below what she thought they’d be, and that ended up being true. </p> <p>As far as keeping track of voter changes, basically you either go to the table for registered dems or go fill out forms. My husband is (was) a registered independent who changed his registration to caucus for Edwards. With more money and organization, it would be great for Iowa to keep track of that kind of info, but these are locally organized affairs run by a small handful of people in sometimes really strange locations. When I signed in, I received a high tech “post it” that I carried to another table where I got an index card with a hand-written number on it (that’s how they kept track of the # of caucusers). That index card was my ticket to being counted in my preference group. Fancy stuff. So keeping track of statistics like # of voters registered, etc, would require a lot more support I think.</p> I think that the Hillary camp made the same mistakes Dean made in ‘04 in Iowa — she overestimated support with no real reason to do so. For instance, in the days leading up to caucus I received many phone calls from the Hillary campaign that acted like I’d committed to caucusing for them (I was never *asked* if I was a supporter). Several friends of mine who had no intentions of supporting Clinton received supporter materials in the mail (like the pre-printed name tags she distributed to supposedly committed caucusers). Before the caucus I predicted in my personal blog that Obama would take Iowa by a pretty big margin and that Clinton’s numbers would be way below what she thought they’d be, and that ended up being true.

As far as keeping track of voter changes, basically you either go to the table for registered dems or go fill out forms. My husband is (was) a registered independent who changed his registration to caucus for Edwards. With more money and organization, it would be great for Iowa to keep track of that kind of info, but these are locally organized affairs run by a small handful of people in sometimes really strange locations. When I signed in, I received a high tech “post it” that I carried to another table where I got an index card with a hand-written number on it (that’s how they kept track of the # of caucusers). That index card was my ticket to being counted in my preference group. Fancy stuff. So keeping track of statistics like # of voters registered, etc, would require a lot more support I think.

]]> By: IowaDem http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181471 IowaDem Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:07:58 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181471 <p>At the caucus last night I was proud of the spirit of unity of the Dems despite differences in opinion about candidates. The focus groups were sharing cookies and jokes and there was definitely a celebratory aspect to the whole evening. There was even cooperation to make the almost viable groups viable. That’s because we like and respect most of our candidates (not so for the Republicans, eh?). It was evident that every Democrat there is concerned about what is happening to America right now and that there is a fierce determination to unite behind our eventual nominee to take our country back and set a positive course for a future that isn’t based on fear and greed.</p> At the caucus last night I was proud of the spirit of unity of the Dems despite differences in opinion about candidates. The focus groups were sharing cookies and jokes and there was definitely a celebratory aspect to the whole evening. There was even cooperation to make the almost viable groups viable. That’s because we like and respect most of our candidates (not so for the Republicans, eh?). It was evident that every Democrat there is concerned about what is happening to America right now and that there is a fierce determination to unite behind our eventual nominee to take our country back and set a positive course for a future that isn’t based on fear and greed.

]]> By: secularhumanizinevoluter http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181391 secularhumanizinevoluter Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:26:07 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181391 <p>So the repugnantklan had a record turn out but NOBODY voted in the repug caucuses? Gee, think maybe they regestered at the door and voted for obamalamadingdong?</p> So the repugnantklan had a record turn out but NOBODY voted in the repug caucuses? Gee, think maybe they regestered at the door and voted for obamalamadingdong?

]]> By: Elliott http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181249 Elliott Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:23:50 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181249 <p>You guys do know Scarecrow’s upstairs, right?</p> You guys do know Scarecrow’s upstairs, right?

]]> By: reboot923 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181245 reboot923 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:22:08 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181245 <p>The best coverage last night was CSPAN - No talking heads, no commercials. Just folks working the caucas. I really got a sense of what it was like without anybody giving me play-by-play. Imagine that!</p> The best coverage last night was CSPAN – No talking heads, no commercials. Just folks working the caucas. I really got a sense of what it was like without anybody giving me play-by-play. Imagine that!

]]> By: billinturkey http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181240 billinturkey Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:20:55 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181240 <p>‘The lede for the Republican caucuses mentions the first and second place finishers,<br /> while on the Democratic side it mentions the first and third. John who?’</p> <p>Not an accident I think.</p> ‘The lede for the Republican caucuses mentions the first and second place finishers,
while on the Democratic side it mentions the first and third. John who?’

Not an accident I think.

]]> By: billinturkey http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181228 billinturkey Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:16:04 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181228 <p>They’re writing off Edwards because they’re scared. Were before Iowa, still are - and with reason, I think.</p> They’re writing off Edwards because they’re scared. Were before Iowa, still are – and with reason, I think.

]]> By: eCAHNomics http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181215 eCAHNomics Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:00:19 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181215 <p>On appointing judges, I suspect that Edwards would be better than either O or H.</p> On appointing judges, I suspect that Edwards would be better than either O or H.

]]> By: PetePierce http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181202 PetePierce Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:40:27 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/04/lemme-tell-ya%e2%80%99-bout-my-caucus/#comment-1181202 <p>It’s not just the S. Ct. The federal appellate appointments that Bush got through, 40 with this Congress with “Dems” in the majority but certainly not in any way shape or form in control are huge.</p> <p>240 right winged judges are what Bush has gotten onto the federal courts this minute, and that’s damn significant. It’s considerably more than Clinton got to appoint.</p> It’s not just the S. Ct. The federal appellate appointments that Bush got through, 40 with this Congress with “Dems” in the majority but certainly not in any way shape or form in control are huge.

240 right winged judges are what Bush has gotten onto the federal courts this minute, and that’s damn significant. It’s considerably more than Clinton got to appoint.

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